AIDS DAY

World AIDS Day. Five million and counting... the number of people living with HIV is growing exponentially in India. Move over sex workers and truck drivers, the epidemic is slowly enveloping all sections of society. As sexual freedom and pre-marital sex are no more subjects of taboo treatment, the threat is all the more alarming. With an emerging middle class youth having tremendous purchasing power, the issue can't be brushed under the carpet. The government and the civil society groups should focus on educating the youth about the dreaded disease and the perils of unsafe sex. The situation demands immediate action. Or else it will be too late.
Besides spreading awareness about the disease, there should be a concerted effort by the research agencies to develop a vaccine for containing the virus. With India emerging as the knowledge powerhouse in biotech and IT, there should be a coming together of the private and the public to tackle the menace.